The Affects of Peer Pressure on Teen Behavior

Summary: The affects of peer pressure on teens, and how they react to different types of peer pressure.

Peer pressure. We have all experienced it. We all know what it feels like to be pressured by a peer. Kids today feel social pressure in countless ways such as clothing and music choices to risky areas such as drugs, sex, and smoking. During adolescence, kids emphasize their independence and explore their identity. Yet they still crave the approval of their peers and worry about being rejected and ostracized. Peer pressure affects the way teenagers choose to live their lives. It affects the way they dress, talk, and act. Due to their decisions based upon peer pressure, the teenagers' outcome can be either good or bad. One study has found that if your child's friends smoke cigarettes, they are nine times more likely to try smoking than if their friends are non-smokers (CASA). Weekend parties often end up in the homes of parents who are away. Alcohol and...